Jon71 Posted February 27, 2022 Report Posted February 27, 2022 Appreciate some guidance. Just finished our loft conversion - now ground, 1st and 2nd floor semi-detached dwelling. Our private building control officer originally cited that as we had a plug socket in a cupboard at the foot of the stairs between 1st and top floor with a mega flow that it was a fire risk - because it was in a cupboard. I looked at options and suggested I remove the existing doors so it would not be deemed as a cupboard. They said they would consider this. Our building control officer has now come back and cited that it is actually the mega flow / pressurised water cyclinder housed in the cupboard to the right of the stairs that in their opinion poses as a fire risk to the escape route on the 1st floor - the cupboard doors x 2 are 33mm mdf. Nothing to do with their original point that it was in a cupboard or ran of electricity. We have building control approval when 10 years ago we completed extensive works on 1st and ground floor and the water tank was fitted in the cupboard which is next to our bedroom. With the loft now complete building control state it is a fire risk - in their opinion - and needs the doors to be fire resistant. If there were no doors, they state it would be an even bigger issue. i cannot rehouse the mega flow, and I cannot fit fd30 44mm fire doors without huge upheaval and cost - there is insufficient clearance from a depth ways perspective at present and Ethernet cables for the house in the way. Q. What are your thoughts on this being classed as a fire risk? And would an acceptable solution perhaps be to affix fire retardant 30-60 minute mdf to the existing 33mm mdf cupboard doors - as a worst case. They have said they would be happy to reconsider if a fire engineer stated it was in their opinion not a fire risk - but that would cost £2-3k+for just a report. Thank you Quote
green-foam Posted March 2, 2022 Report Posted March 2, 2022 How is a megaflow a fire risk? As you say it is a pressurised cylinder full of water. There is no danger of it ever catching fire, and if there is an external fire the cylinder has multiple safety features. Quote
AnthonyB Posted March 2, 2022 Report Posted March 2, 2022 If you think it complies there is always this option: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/building-regulations-determinations Quote
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